Rick Moffat
CFL.ca
MONTREAL — “What a marvellous night for a moondance…” -Irish poet Van Morrison
Under a Montreal full moon, Anthony Calvillo pulled off a total eclipse of the quarterback galaxy. Once again he proved to be master of the 3-down domain.
Take what they give ya, then take what you want, let your defence grab the rest.
The inevitable moment came on the Als’ second offensive series. A first play bomb wouldn’t have surprised anyone, even an Argo defence that had shut down opposing quarterbacks through back-to-back games.
Number 13 moving to number 1 all-time on the touchdown passing list came under the approving eye of his preferred target, Velcro Hands.
The stars were aligned, in that Ben Cahoon’s retirement party permitted the CFL to note 61 of Calvillo’s previous TD tosses had landed in the octopus hands of #86. Coincidentally, Eric Deslauriers became the 61st different receiver Calvillo’s led into the endzone.
Jim Barker’s yellow flag couldn’t crash the party. Deslaurier’s route to the back of the endzone after AC’s pump-fake left Argo defenders a step or two behind.
“The play stands” decision confirmed the Gatineau, Quebec native’s first touchdown reception since his rookie year of 2007. Timing is everything.
The Als’ pass-catching corps knew better all week than to get in Calvillo’s grill for any lobbying efforts to be on the receiving end of history.
“I heard the chirping, but they knew to stay away,” Calvillo joked. “Like any other week I had homework to do because Coach Trestman puts in so many new plays for our gameplan.”
Calvillo, consummate family-man, admitted he had his young daughters sitting on his knees while studying the playbook again two nights before his personal milestone. Does that make Trestman’s voluminous tome appropriate bed-time stories?
“I don’t know about that, but my daughters wanted me to keep reading. It’s pretty hard to explain my reads to them, though,” Calvillo laughed.
“I have even more respect for the person than the football player, and he’s a tremendous quarterback,” says Calvillo’s other set of magic hands – physiotherapist and fitness consultant Scott Suter, voice cracking with emotion.
“Alexia’s battle with cancer hit him harder than his own. This offseason he just took the approach of ‘let’s deal with it’ and he turned to the next challenge of his life.
“He agreed to put in the time and make lifestyle changes: that’s the formula for greatness,” Tracy Ham told me at halftime from his home in Georgia. “I was there to help mentor him but he had to take it all in and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
“Records are made to be broken,” chimed in Damon Allen in a congratulatory call to CJAD moments after #395 was celebrated on the field with more exuberance than the promised ‘get on with it’ approach of which Calvillo had forewarned. “When I set the record lot’s of people said ‘this is forever’. Congratulations to Anthony, but someday someone else will be aiming for the record.”
Long after the final gun, the Cahoon and Calvillo families lingered on the field. Cahoon’s daughters set the fashion tone in matching pink Als’ shirts. Calvillo’s relatives ran pass routes for each other, leaving no doubt AC could probably hit 5,000 yards this season with his brothers and sisters in the huddle.
The only remaining questions for Als fans?
Will being the chosen one for 395 be a destiny burst for Eric Deslauriers?
Has Brandon Whitaker already proven he can threaten the 1,000-yard marks on the ground and through the air?
How soon can Air Calvillo land another milestone? It would take 38 passes caught against the Roughriders next weekend to further spoil Montreal fans on home turf.
Count on another twist of fate – Allen’s all-time completion mark will most likely be eclipsed in Hamilton.
Als fans, like the Calvillo and Cahoon families, will be over the moon again.
